rfreddy Reviews

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

good "bollywood" movie

[5/10 · 3 February 2009]

May be its the immense hype given by the Indian media and the golden globes it won, I guess I was expecting too much from this one. But it came out as a fairly good work, though reminding a bollywood movie most of the time, except the childhood of the protagonist. Of course it portrays India in a very bad light. But then, its a story about the slums and we have a lot of them. I will not say that these kind of things never happens in India. It do happen. There are murders, prostitution, begging, and money involved in all these, but still we have a civilized section too. People who watch Slumdog Millionaire have to keep one thing in mind that... This is India, but India is not just this.

And about the music... If any foreigner thinks the music in Slumdog Millionaire is great, then I feel sad for them, coz they missed all those beauty of A. R. Rahman's earlier works. Trust me, this is just an average work according to his standards. He's the mozart of madras. I mean, how can anyone churn out hits after hits like this. Two characters I love about his music are... 1. Its timelessness. You will love it 10 years after now as you love it today. 2. You hear it first time.. you'd think... wow! Second time... woww! Third time... wowwww! And it goes on like that.

Vismayathumbathu (2004)

Just like hell

[2/10 · 8 December 2008]

The movie is a straight lift from 'just like heaven', the reese witherspoon rom-com. The screenplay is a big let down, the acting is superficial, and the production value is pitiful. Its all about an eccentric called Sreekumar who can speak to the spirit of Rita and there is a weird reason for this... similar IQ! After lot of confusion, Sreekumar finds that Rita is actually alive, but the soul escaped from the body and she is in coma state in a hospital. The movie is clearly an attempt by the one-time ace director Fazil desperately trying to make a comeback. He ripped off a beautiful English movie and managed to array a range of stars like Mohanlal, Nayantara, Mukesh, and Harisree Asokan. He would have dreamt of making another 'manichitrathazhu' which was an original and one of the best movies ever made in Malayalam. Fazil still has capability, but his screenplay is so artificial that one wonders whats in his mind when writing those contrived dialogs. Nobody speaks nowadays like the way Mohanlal or Nayan speaks in this movie. Its pretty similar to a drama. Moreover, Mohanlal's hammy acting is a real burden. Not for a single moment, he understands that character. The way he portrays it is much similar to another eccentric he portrayed in 'Ayal Katha Ezhuthukayanu'. Nayantara does not deliver, but that can be pardoned as its only her second movie and the role is quite heavy. Frankly, the acting by the lead actors is the worst in recent times, especially towards the climax. The songs are again, rip off from various Hindi and tamil songs. The only saving grace is Mukesh who, as usual, very effective in tickling your funny bone. My vote is 2 out of 10 and that 2 is just for Mukesh. Its better to watch the original 'just like heaven' or Manichitrathazhu for the 10th time than wasting your money over this one.

Rocky V (1990)

Don't go for it...

[2/10 · 11 November 2006]

I think the film is not even average. Even worse, if we compare it with the series. Frankly, i liked the fourth part better than this. The first mistake, if u ask me, was to put the fight in the street. That stole the essence of the movie. The family side of Rocky has been etched out well, especially the father son relation. But the teacher-student relation was poorly shown. As against the other rockies, the film went wayward in the script department. Rocky I was realistic, but gradually in II, III, and IV that aspect waned and in this installment, there is not a bit of realism. But then, its not devoid of any pluses. The music has been great, especially the final song. Stallone has done a decent job. So if you are a Stallone fan, then you can have a look. And if you are a Rocky fan then its better to avoid.

New Police Story (2004)

Better than Jackie's Hollywood flicks

[7/10 · 23 May 2005]

The film has everything action, romance, and emotions. Jackie has played his part quite convincingly... may be his best performance as an actor. The age shows in his face but not in his movements. It is a very good entertainer and far better than his Hollywood flicks. The movie shows Jackie as a victim of the brutality by a group of freakish youngsters (or kids?). Dejected, he goes on a drinking binge. A young man brings him back to life and he takes revenge by capturing the whole group. The good thing about the movie is that the villainous kids are not being killed by the cops but they kill themselves. It is a sensible film. But the only problem is i bought the movie thinking it to be the sequel of the police story series, but i don't think it was. I wont recommend to watch the film in a jovial mood. Its more of a serious kind unlike his other action comedies. Anyway, i liked it very much and would give 7 out of 10.